Harry Styles Honors Dolly Parton and Transforms Setlist at Madison Square Garden Opener

On the opening night of his historic 30-show residency at New York's Madison Square Garden, Harry Styles presented a dramatically altered setlist, a departure from the consistent performances throughout his "Together, Together" tour. The show, which began Wednesday, featured a significantly reordered song selection, reimagined older tracks, and the live debut of a new song. This special concert came after a similar orchestral show in London.

Styles also took a moment to acknowledge the passing of Dolly Parton, whose death was announced on Tuesday. Late in the concert, he paused to express his gratitude: "I just wanna give a proper thank you to all the musicians who have inspired me over the years — Dolly, we love you. Thank you so much." Her iconic rendition of "I Will Always Love You," famously covered by Whitney Houston, then played over the sound system for a minute before the performance resumed.

The evening's unique nature was evident from the very first notes. "Dance No More" replaced the usual opener "Are You Listening Yet?," followed by "Carolina," a deep cut from his solo debut that hadn't been played live since his initial solo tour. Throughout the show, songs previously positioned later in the set were moved to earlier slots, and vice versa. Mid-concert, "The Waiting Game" from his latest album, "Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally.," was performed live for the first time.

Early in the show, Styles reflected on a full-circle moment. He shared an anecdote about his first performance at Madison Square Garden at the age of 18 with One Direction in 2012. He recalled a venue employee who told him that upon arriving that day, he kissed the floor, exclaiming, "I've made it to Madison Square Garden!" The crowd responded with enthusiastic cheers.

Setlist:
Dance No More
Carolina
Music for a Sushi Restaurant
Cinema
Adore You
Watermelon Sugar
Taste Back
Sweet Creature
The Waiting Game
Satellite
Are You Listening Yet?
Ready, Steady, Go!
Pop
Season 2 Weight Loss
Kiwi
American Girls
As It Was
Carla’s Song
Coming Up Roses

Encore:
(Dolly Parton tribute)
Sign of the Times
Aperture